Chicago's GENE & JUDE'S Since 1946

It's long been argued that Chicago has the best hot dogs in the country—and now Rachael Ray has put her stamp of approval on it to make the claim official. In the March issue of Every Day With Rachael Ray, the perky budget-focused chef, along with three judges from Serious Eats, named River Grove's Gene & Jude's the No. 1 hot dog in the U.S.

One summer day in 1945 Gene set out to join his friends at a baseball game at Wrigley Field. Little did he know that was the day of creation. While at the game, the group ordered some hot dogs and drinks. Looking down at the food in his hands, he felt something was missing. The wheels started turning and by the time he got home the experiment had begun.

He came up with a novel idea and used it to open a little stand in 1946 on Polk and Western Ave, Chicago IL - serving hot dogs and fries along with a few other items on the menu.